Biography

Overview (2)

Mini Bio (1)

Fyvush Finkel was born on October 9, 1922 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He is an actor, known for Picket Fences (1992), A Serious Man (2009) and Boston Public (2000). He was previously married to Trudi Lieberman.

Spouse (1)

Trivia (6)

Fyvush appeared in the touring company of "Fiddler On The Roof" for 12 years. Initially he performed the role of the innkeeper, but ultimately assumed the lead role of Tevye.

Fyvush is Yiddish for Phillip, a name he used in school.

Has two sons: Ian, a musical arranger, and Elliot, a concert pianist.

Born Philip Finkel, but adopted the Yiddish translation for Philip (Fyvush) for his career.

Born in Brooklyn the third of four sons of Jewish immigrant tailor, Harry Finkel, from Warsaw, Poland, and his wife Mary, from Minsk, then part of Russia.

In 2007, the 85-year-old character actor appeared in David Ives' play, "New Jerusalem", at the Classic Stage Company in New York City. Finkel played a synagogue board member in the show, which focused on the 1656 banishment of philosopher Baruch de Spinoza from Amsterdam's Jewish community.

Personal Quotes (4)

I don't audition, because I don't like it. When you own a store, you sell products, but when you audition, you are trying to sell yourself. If they turn you down, they turn you down. I will not have it. I tell the people, 'Look, you're not buying a house. Take a chance.'

Life was not all blintzes and sour cream.

I love people. I keep telling performers, 'Not only do you owe them a good performance, you also owe them love. If you love them, they love you 10 times more. It is not the producers that pay your wages; they do. If they don't like you, you're not going to get work. But if they love you, they'll put you in comfort.'

In Hollywood they don't have Sheva Brokhes. In Hollywood, you're lucky if the marriage last seven days.